Slayers Journey
by Yithril
Summary: Lina Inverse is at it again! A new adventure for Lina and the gang, taking them back to the lands they left in Slayers Try. Think of this fic as if it were a new series in the slayers saga. Please Read and Review, I like feedback.
1. A lone stranger, a new adventure?

Disclaimer : Slayers is a creation of Hajime Kanzaka's, not my own obviously. I'm obviously adding a lot of characters to this story, but all the ones from Slayers are not mine. Don't sue me; it would be a fruitless endeavor. Anyways, on with the show. I meant for this to be a mostly serious fic with some humor. The story takes place after Try, so if you haven't seen that series, this story will spoil some things. If you haven't seen the series, then just as FYI, there was a seal created by a high ranking monster named Phibrizzo around a large part of the world. After his death, the barrier disappeared. With the barrier gone, people can now travel to and fro from the north to the south.  
  
Please review this story after reading. I really value the viewpoints of my readers, be it positive or negative. I'm not the only one reading the stories I write, so it assists me greatly when readers can share their thoughts freely with me. It helps me improve as a writer and helps you by providing you with higher quality fan fiction to read.  
  
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The gentle waves lapped onto the shores of the white sandy beach. A crab skittered along the glistening pebbles dotting the shore. The sun was high in the sky, bathing the land in its gentle rays. Gazing out at the twinkling blue ocean beneath the clear sunny sky, Lina Inverse stood on the balcony of her hotel room admiring the view. The young sorceress genius was sitting in a chair, clad in a single-colored light yellow night gown, combing her long tressettes of shimmering rust red hair with an ivory comb. She carefully brushed out every loch of her hair until it was perfectly smooth and soft. Satisfied with herself, she stood up and breathed in the fresh salty air.  
  
"It really was a good idea to come to this town. Amelia told me that she and the rest of the royal family of Seyruun would come to this beach resort in Shyremont to relax when the duties of leadership got to be too much. Ahh, this breeze feels so good!" thought Lina.  
  
A strong current of wind picked up, lifting Lina's flowing hair into the air, revealing more of her soft and gentle facial features. Lina sat up and went back inside her luxurious suite. Not settling for anything less than the royal suite, Lina's room was furnished with all manner of luxuries. Her bed was queen sized, draped in soft, red velvet blankets and two large red pillows. Next to the bed was a mahogany nightstand with a few of Lina's personal items placed on top. The wallpaper was of an intricate pattern of alternating black and white diamonds. Lina sat on her bed and let her body fall backwards, encompassing herself within the plush folds of the velvet blankets. Lina stared up at the ceiling, letting her imagination lift her off into the depths of her memories.  
  
It had only been a few months before, when the world was pivoting on the brink of destruction. Darkstar, the dark lord of the Overworld, was summoned to Lina's world and would have gone on a berserk spree of senseless violence and destruction had Lina and her friends not been able to destroy him. The senselessness of the war of the Gods and the Monsters was to blame, thought Lina. It was ironic, though, that a mere human was the one to set everything right.  
  
"Well at least we won't have any more trouble like that again," said Lina to herself, getting up and heading to her dresser to put on her clothes. She and Gourry planned to meet downstairs and eat lunch at a restaurant renowned for its seafood. Putting on her dark red sorceress outfit, Lina looked at herself in the mirror, carefully looking at her reflection.  
  
"How I've grown up since then...since Gourry and I met."  
  
Lina was a little surprised at the maturity that now showed itself in her facial features and height. Back when she and Gourry had first met in that forest clearing, she was just a young girl. Now after all her adventures and experiences, Lina was maturing into a young woman. Fastening her black cape to the clasps of her mantle, Lina walked out the door and headed downstairs to meet Gourry.  
  
The hotel Lina stayed in was five stars, suitable for Seyruun royalty. The caretaker of the inn took special pains to create a rich, homelike atmosphere by papering the walls with tan, floral wallpaper and a few tasteful pictures hung on the wall. The staircase leading down to the main area was made of a very sturdy grain of pine. The finish looked almost brand new, capturing the sun light and reflecting it. Sweeping her hair aside with her gloved left hand, Lina walked towards the main entrance, and caught sight of Gourry. Gourry was a very tall and sturdy man, with long blonde hair flowing down his back. His shoulders were wide swept and his posture was erect and sturdy. Grinning as always, Gourry waved towards Lina.  
  
"Gourry, you're not late for once. Did you get a good night's rest?" asked Lina, grinning slightly with one hand placed gently on her hip.  
  
"Of course Lina. I'm glad we were able to get enough money to pay for such a nice place. Are you ready to go eat?"  
  
"Yeah, I hear that Shyremont has really excellent seafood. The restaurant is a little way down the street, let's go!"  
  
Lina raised her right hand in triumph and began to walk down the street with Gourry. Shyremont was a sleepy town by the sea. The atmosphere was entrancing, as the gentleness of the sea seemed to pervade the mood of the village. The road was earth toned cobble stone with two sidewalks on opposite sidesof the road for people to stay out of the way of carriages and carts. As Lina and Gourry walked on the sidewalk down the street, Lina couldn't help but steal glances at Gourry from her peripheral vision. She couldn't believe she had fallen in love with Gourry.  
  
"He's a moron. He's just a big oaf, with oatmeal for brains. I'm the sorceress genius Lina Inverse! I had always thought my partner would be an equally brilliant sorcerer, and we'd be a powerful team capable of toppling kingdoms. Well, maybe that's not what I really want. I feel safe with Gourry. There is something about the way he looks at me..."  
  
Lina tilted her head to gaze at the profile of Gourry's face. It was the same old Gourry all right. His expression was almost child like, his hair a golden blonde, and his muscles nearly bulging out of his armor. Lina couldn't escape the feeling, though, that she saw something past the exterior.  
  
Lina and Gourry soon reached the city square. A gigantic gray marble fountain with a stone figurine of a maiden holding a gourd in the center was the centerpiece of the square. Flowing, crystal like water flowed from the maiden's gourd into the well of the fountain. Lina surveyed the scene, and noticed a strange attraction at the opposite end of the square. There were many people crowding around it, pointing and talking.  
  
"What is that strange contraption? Gourry have you seen anything like that before?"  
  
"No Lina, it sure looks funny to me."  
  
Lina was pointing towards a machine with a lever at the bottom. The lever was quite large with a pad on one end. The other end was connected to a long tower, shooting upwards into the sky.  
  
"Test your strength! Win a prize!" yelled out a man standing at the strange contraption.  
  
Lina walked over with Gourry in tow, and looked over the strange contraption.  
  
"Step right up! Test your strength!" said the man, holding a very large wooden mallet.  
  
"How does this thing work?" asked Lina, pointing downwards.  
  
"Why, you just take this hammer, and slam it down on this lever here. Depending on how strong you are, the lever will send this metal block flying upward. If you're truly strong it will hit the bell at the top."  
  
"If I can hit the bell what do I win?" asked Lina, sensing a chance to earn something.  
  
"Why, you get your pick of prizes young lady," said the man making a sweeping gesture with his right arm towards a rack of stuffed animals. There were many dolls of unicorns, bears, and a few plushes of Zelgadiss, Amelia, Gourry, and Lina Inverse.  
  
"Gourry, Gourry, I want that one! Win me that one!" exclaimed Lina excitedly, pointing towards the Lina Inverse doll.  
  
"All right Lina, I'll give it a try," said Gourry, rubbing his hands together.  
  
The man handed Gourry the mallet smiling.  
  
"Woah, this is pretty heavy," said Gourry, taken aback from the weight of the mallet.  
  
"Don't wimp out Gourry! C'mon, give it all you've got!" yelled Lina.  
  
Gourry nodded and raised the wooden mallet high into the air. Moments later, Gourry used all his strength to bring the mallet down full force on the lever. The weight at the other end flew upward hitting the bell. The bell rang loudly, and confetti exploded from around the machine.  
  
"We have a winner!" exclaimed the man, clapping. The crowd cheered for Gourry, who was holding the mallet with one hand and scratching the back of his head with the other.  
  
The man took down a Lina Inverse doll and handed it to Gourry.  
  
"Excellent job! Here is your prize."  
  
"Uh, here Lina. This is what you wanted right?"  
  
"Thanks Gourry!"  
  
Gourry handed Lina the doll. Lina immediately held it close to her body, hugging it with all her might. Gourry smiled, a look of natural happiness spread across his face. The pair left the stand and immediately headed towards the restaurant. The restaurant was packed with patrons. Waitresses carrying trays filled with seafood delicacies such as sumptuous lobster and mussels mulled from table to table serving food. Lina and Gourry stood at the doorway, their jaws drooping towards the ground, their eyes wide.  
  
"I...love....lobster...." said Lina.  
  
"That fish looks so good..."  
  
Lina and Gourry rushed to a table and looked at the menu, their mouths salivating in anticipation of the best seafood in the entire kingdom.  
  
"Waitress, we'll take everything on the right side of the menu and a little bit of the left too!" yelled Lina, waving at a waitress with her menu.  
  
Miraculously, the food came within seconds. Trays of fresh steamed lobster, platters of clams in the shell, and the restaurant delicacy, steamed cod, were all laid out in front of Gourry and Lina. Not wanting to waste any time, Lina and Gourry each grabbed a fork and knife, their eyes wide in anticipation.  
  
"Itadakimasu!!!" they said in unison.  
  
Lina and Gourry ripped into their dishes, their forks and knives cutting and spearing chunks of food. Stuffing the seafood delicacies into their mouth, Lina and Gourry ate like ravenous sharks that have just gotten a whiff of blood. The waitress held up a hand to her mouth, giggling nervously at the sight of Lina and Gourry eating.  
  
"Do you like your food?" asked the waitress.  
  
"Yes," said Gourry with a mouthful of lobster.  
  
"Don't talk with your mouth full Gourry", said Lina, her mouth filled with fish.  
  
"Look who's talking, hey that's my lobster, don't take it!" said Gourry, trying to spear the last lobster. Before he could react, Lina had already speared it, and put it on her plate. The waitress walked away, thoroughly repulsed by the sight of Lina and Gourry's ravenous eating.  
  
After eating, Lina and Gourry sat back in their chairs, their bellies noticeably bulging.  
  
"Oh that was great..." said Lina with a toothpick in her mouth.  
  
"Best seafood ever," replied Gourry.  
  
The two got up from the table, paid their bill, and contentedly walked outside. It was afternoon now. The sun had climbed higher into the sky than before, radiating even more of its warm rays onto the land below. Lina looked up at the clear blue sky, and caught sight of a pair of doves in flight. She then turned to Gourry, her gaze soft and gentle. A few moments later, the sound of naying horses could be heard from down the street. Lina raised a flat palm to her forehead, trying to make out where all the commotion was coming from.  
  
"What are you looking at Lina?" asked Gourry.  
  
A few of the people on the street began to run down the street away from the noise of the horses. A few pointed and tried to duck behind crates or behind stalls.  
  
"It's the Red Viper gang! Everyone, hide!" wailed one peasant, cowering behind a stack of crates in an alley.  
  
"The Red Viper gang?" thought Lina.  
  
A few moments later, five seedy looking men wearing dark red vests, midnight black belts and pants, and leather shoes, came riding down the street. Each had the insignia of a snake emblazoned on the backs of their vests. Each man's horse had a light brown burlap sack fixed onto the saddle, with gold coins clinking on to the ground as they road. One of the men, apparently the leader since he sported a black headband the others didn't, saw Lina on the street and stopped his horse. The other men in his gang were confused at first, but then saw Lina and stopped as well.  
  
"What are you doing out by yourself little girl? Don't you know there are scary men about?" said the leader figure, laughing to himself. His hair was jet black and spiked out. His face was not especially handsome but not ugly. His features were very harsh and his cheekbones were set very high. He was markedly taller than Lina, and bent down to talk to her, flashing his grimy yellow teeth in her face.  
  
"When I see one I'll let you know. All I see right now is a dentistry emergency," said Lina, repulsed by the man's bad breath.  
  
"You've got some lip for a flat chested little brat. Why don't you give me those nice jewels you have set onto your mantle and maybe I won't hurt you too bad" said the bandit, grinning.  
  
"You'd better just give them to Captain Zane, if you know what's good for you little girl. You shouldn't mess with the Red Viper Gang," said one of the bandits chuckling to himself, brandishing a dagger.  
  
"I can't let you threaten Lina like that, why I'll...", said Gourry, reaching for his sword.  
  
"Leave these small fries to me Gourry, I haven't had any target practice in awhile. By the way, you guys have awful naming sense. The red vipers? What a pathetic name! If you guys were real criminals you wouldn't hide behind facetious gang names," said Lina, holding back Gourry. Lina grinned slightly, her love for destruction and mayhem surfacing.  
  
"Hey, you can't talk about the Red Vipers like that!", chimed in one of the bandits.  
  
"You talk pretty big for a little girl. What do you think you can do against us?" said the captain.  
  
"Oh, who, little old me? Well, how about sending you all into orbit for starters!" exclaimed Lina. "Dill Brand!" exclaimed Lina, snapping her fingers. The ground beneath the bandits exploded under the force of Lina's spell, sending the bandits flying into the sky far out of view.  
  
"Home run Lina," said Gourry, looking up towards the sky with no signs of the bandits falling back down.  
  
"Whew, that felt good. That captain said I had a flat chest! The nerve of him, serves him right. As I'd let a bunch of morons with an even more moronic gang name get the best of Lina Inverse. Oh, what about all this gold they have with their horses?" said Lina with a mischievous look on her face. Tiptoeing towards the horses, she looked through the burlap sacks to find a large quantity of gold coins.  
  
"Yosha! Well we can't let all this great bandit treasure go to waste now can we Gourry?"  
  
"Lina, doesn't stealing from thieves make you a thief too?"  
  
"Well I'd be putting it towards a much better use than they would have, so the good cancels out the bad," said Lina, grinning and giggling.  
  
"Omae na..."  
  
Moments later a group of policemen came running down the street. Catching sight of the horses and burlap sacks, the police ran over to Lina.  
  
"Where...where are the red vipers?" said one of the police men, thoroughly confused.  
  
"They decided to rack up a few frequent flyer miles," said Lina, giggling to herself.  
  
"Well they stole gold from our bank, and I guess this is it. Thanks for stopping them, they would have made off with the bank's money."  
  
"Umm, you're welcome," said Lina, thoroughly dejected at having to give the money back to the rightful authorities.  
  
As the police left with the gold in tow, Gourry walked up to Lina, resting a reassuring hand on her right shoulder.  
  
"Don't feel bad Lina, you saved the day. You've done a good deed."  
  
"Good deeds aren't worth a shilling, Gourry. I blasted those guys for nothing!" wailed Lina, clutching her head.  
  
Just then, the sound of clapping rang through the street. Lina and Gourry looked around to try and identify the source of the sound. A tall man clad in a dark blue cape, hood, and mantle and flowing silver robes appeared from down the street. The man pulled back his hood, revealing wild spikes of short, platinum blonde hair. The man's gaze was piercing, due to his nearly translucent gray eyes. Lina rested a hand on her hip, staring at the strange newcomer.  
  
"And who might you be?" asked Lina.  
  
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	2. The Tears of Katarasu

"I am Vargus, and I have a proposition for you Lina Inverse," said Vargus, smiling.  
  
"Oh? So you know the name Lina Inverse? Well I don't find it surprising. Word of my beauty and sorcery genius is known across all lands," said Lina, throwing her hair back with a grand flourish of her hands. Thoroughly enjoying her self gratification, Lina threw back her head and laughed haughtily.  
  
"A fifteen year old red haired sorceress wearing a black cape and red dress. Flat chested, average looks, and prone to self congratulation, yeah it's definitely Lina Inverse," muttered Vargus.  
  
Lina's expression dropped, a gigantic sweat drop appearing behind her. Gourry simply laughed nervously, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
"Well, what is it you need? You've obviously been looking far and wide for me," said Lina, trying to retain an air of dignity after her pride had totally been shot down.  
  
"I need a sorceress of your caliber. I am an alchemist for the royal court of Kalazal, the southern kingdom. The princess has fallen under the curse of a wizard. She is at the kingdom as we speak; encased in eternal sleep due to the curse. While she is in death like sleep, we can't be sure of whether she will revive or not. We have reason to believe the neighboring kingdom's wizards are behind this. Why they would do this to the princess, I don't quite understand. The princess is a fair and pure maiden, she doesn't deserve to have this sort of thing done to her..." said Vargus, emotion pouring from his voice as he spoke.  
  
"Well, I really feel for your situation and all, but what can I do? Shouldn't you be talking to the Seyruun wizards? They're all specialists in white magic, I specialize in black," said Lina.  
  
"The best wizards in Seyruun have tried, but none of their spells have been effective. The curse has been unbreakable. The mage community of Seyruun is stumped, as this curse is not one we have on our record books. We only have one option left, and it is a longshot. I've come to ask you to help me locate the Tears of Katarasu," said Vargus.  
  
Lina's expression immediately turned to one of surprise. Gourry, thick headed as always, simply looked puzzled and confused.  
  
"The Tears of Katarasu? Such a thing exists?" said Lina.  
  
"Well, there is no real way of telling. But if we can find that vial, the curse the princess is under would be broken."  
  
"Well do you have any leads as to where the Tears of Katarasu might be? It seems to me like you're just trying to find a needle in a haystack."  
  
"Uhh...Lina...about the Tears of ... what he just said ... "said Gourry in a low voice.  
  
"Don't tell me you don't know about the legend! You're such a lunk head Gourry! The Tears of Katarasu is a special potion that is said to be able to cure any illness, detoxify any poison, and remove any black magic. It's a legend though; no one has ever found it. I'll tell you about the whole legend later when we have more time," replied Lina, bonking Gourry over the head.  
  
"From what the wizards of Seyruun have told me, the best place would be to look through the ancient temple complex of Cephied south of here, past where Phibrizzo's barrier used to be. In those ruins may lie the Tears of Katarasu. After all, it was a temple run by the golden dragons themselves. Now that Phibrizzo's seal is gone, we can freely travel to the south of here," said Vargus.  
  
"Well I'm glad you at least have a place to start. But what am I going to get out of this? Sorcery genius doesn't come for free you know," said Lina, crossing her arms and grinning.  
  
"Well for starters I had brought this," said Vargus, reaching into his robe and procuring a large burlap sack. Vargus shook the sack so that the sound of the gold coins clinking against one another could be heard. Lina's eyes grew to the size of saucers, and her jaw dropped to the ground.  
  
"For...starters...you say?"  
  
"Well I'm sure the king would be so grateful that his daughter was well again that he'd shower you with gifts," replied Vargus, scratching his chin.  
  
"Shower...with...gifts..." said Lina, giggling to herself uncontrollably. "Well we can't leave a princess cursed without trying to help her, right Gourry? That would just be totally heartless! We're on the job Vargus!" said Lina, slapping Gourry across the back.  
  
"Omae na, just a few seconds ago you didn't show much interest," said Gourry.  
  
"A bargaining tactic us shrewd business women know Gourry," said Lina, giving Gourry a wink.  
  
"Well then if it's all settled I think we should head out as soon as possible. The sooner we find the Tears of Katarasu the better. I've bought a few maps to show us the way south, and I even brought someone well versed in golden dragon lore and history. Why don't you gather your things, and let's meet at the city square, let's say tomorrow at noon? We'll leave out then, for it will be a long journey from here." Vargus walked over to Lina, handing her the bag of gold.  
  
"It's your show Vargus, we're just the hired help. We'll be ready by tomorrow. Until then, goodbye," said Lina walking away and waving. Gourry was soon to follow behind her. Gourry and Lina walked down the road towards their hotel. Once out of earshot, Gourry leaned down to Lina.  
  
"Do you believe that guys story?'  
  
"We'll there really isn't anyway to tell if it's real or not Gourry, but this sack of gold is definitely real. Besides, you and I haven't been on any adventures for awhile, so this will be a good chance to cut loose for a change."  
  
"I hope you're right Lina," said Gourry, a look of doubt across his face. "By the way you still haven't explained to me what the Tears of Katawhosit is".  
  
"Fine, we'll stop over at that café and I'll tell you all about it. Really Gourry, open a book once in awhile and something may leak into that thick skull of yours," replied Lina, playfully bonking Gourry on the head.  
  
Lina and Gourry sat down at an outdoor café. Lina ordered some tea and Gourry ordered some coffee. Lina's fingered caressed the lip of her cup, as she collected her thoughts.  
  
"Not like you'd remember this story anyway, but here goes nothing. Katarasu was a princess of a kingdom long, long ago. She was very well bred and her family was extremely powerful. Her family started from poor beginnings, but her mother married into royalty and she became the princess. Katarasu enjoyed studying white magic, and healing the sick and blind. She was betrothed to a prince of a neighboring kingdom. It was a political marriage, a means for her mother and father to increase the land holding and power of the kingdom. The prince, Daris, wanted Katarasu not just for political power, but because the princess' beauty was famed throughout the land. Katarasu did not love the man she was betrothed to, however. She had done the unthinkable..."  
  
"The unthinkable, Lina?" asked Gourry.  
  
"She fell in love with a golden dragon named Karzai. As a practitioner of the White arts, Katarasu was also a servant of the gods. She would often visit the temple of the golden dragons to pray to Cephied and to study white magic. While she was there, she met Karzai, a golden dragon and a priest. Katarasu wanted to flee her parents, her royal station, and her betrothed to become a full fledged priestess of the gods and live with Karzai."  
  
"But, what's so bad about that?" asked Gourry.  
  
"Think about it, would you? She can't be with Karzai if she's married to some prince. Katarasu was going to break her betrothal and run away from the kingdom. She tried to break it to the prince Daris nicely, but all it did was make him angry. In his rage, he killed the princess. As she lay dying, she wept because she would never see her lost love again. Daris, realizing what horrible sin he had committed, collected Katarasu's tears and carried them in a flask to Karzai, the golden dragon. Daris told Karzai of what he had done, and presented the tears to Karzai. Daris offered to have Karzai take his life, but Karzai had refused. Instead, he charged Daris with becoming a priest and spending the rest of his life to aid people."  
  
"So what's so great about Katarasu's tears then?" said Gourry, perplexed as always.  
  
"I'm getting to that part Gourry! Anyways, Katarasu's emotions were so strong that part of her essence was present in her tears. At least that's how the legend goes. If Katarasu's tears exist, Gourry, then we'd have some powerful white magic at our disposal! Think about it, any curse, any poison, any disease, any wound, could all be healed with her tears! So, do you at least partially understand the story?"  
  
"Well.....not really, I kind of lost you when you started talking about Kata something and Kar-whosit," said Gourry, chuckling.  
  
"As I expected, no point in trying to explain it to you in the first place. Why do I even bother?" lamented Lina. "Anyways, let's head back to the inn and pack, shall we?"  
  
Lina and Gourry both got up and left for the inn.  
  
In a matter of a few hours, Lina and Gourry had collected and packed all of their personal items and possessions. As Lina was placing her favorite comb into her sack, she stared into the mirror attached to her cherry wood dresser.  
  
"The Tears of Katarasu? Few of those that have searched for the legendary healing salve have ever come up successful. White wizards have searched far and wide for it, so that they could study its healing properties. With Phribrizzo's seal gone, I guess that means it could be hidden somewhere on the southern part of the continent. I guess fate means for myself and Gourry to return to that place..."  
  
Memories of Lina's adventures in the unknown lands to the south came flooding back to her. Memories of doing battle with Valgaav and the Overworlders, as well as Dark Star came flooding back to Lina.  
  
"I don't really want to go back their again, but if it means I can find that ancient salve of legends, then I'll go down in history as one of the greatest sorcerers! Plus I can get a lot of gold out of this deal too. But while do I still feel this anxiety, deep within me?"  
  
Lina looked at her reflection, her eyes heavy and her expression clearly showing signs of melancholy. Lina stood up, walking towards her balcony overlooking the sea. The stars twinkled brightly in the inky blackness of the night sky, casting their haunting glow on the waves of the sea below. A slight breeze picked up, carrying her long hair with it. Lina's mind turned to her battle with Dark Star, atop the teleportation machine. The dark lord of destruction, Dark Star, was moments away from breaking through the dimensional gate and consuming Lina's world in eternal oblivion. With all her options exhausted, Lina activated her amplifying talismans to summon the forbidden spell, the Giga Slave.  
  
"If I made a single mistake in casting that spell, I could have sunk this entire world into the sea of chaos, ending existence. I don't want to have to be put in that sort of position again," thought Lina, longingly gazing up at the stars.  
  
"Maybe I'm just worrying too much," said Lina, sighing and returning inside. Yawning, Lina went to bed, covering herself up with her velvet blanket and slipping into a deep sleep.  
  
Lina's eye's opened. She could see a sky forever trapped in twilight expand before her eyes. Sitting up and looking around, Lina found herself on an island sitting in a patch of grass.  
  
"Am I dreaming?" thought Lina.  
  
Before Lina an infinite ocean of sparkling water expanded to all sections of the horizon. The starlight cast a brilliant glow over the eerily still water. Looking upward, Lina noticed that the moon could be seen prominently in the sky, five or six times it's normal size.  
  
"Strange, what is this place?"  
  
Lina stood up, and looked around. Everything seemed so surreal to her. Turning around, Lina saw a thick, dark, foreboding forest. The trees were tall, creating a thick canopy overhead, where only trickles of moonlight were able to flow down. Lina walked into the forest with a little trepidation. She could hear something, a very soft sound, almost too faint to hear.  
  
"Music? It...it sound's like a flute."  
  
The sound of a flute echoed throughout the forest, the music seemingly emanating from the trees, the grass, the rocks, even the ground itself. The music was sorrowful, bespeaking of a deep seated sadness and pain. The song haunted Lina, welling up within her being feelings of anguish that Lina had not experienced before. The melody made Lina want to sob and weep with her whole being. Lina fell to her knees, overcome with emotion.  
  
"What is going on here?"  
  
Lina looked forward, into the inky blackness of the depths of the forest. A few moments later, a slender woman clad in pure white robes appeared. The moonlight flowed in from the canopy of the trees, encompassing the women in its eerie glow. The woman seemed to walk towards Lina, a silver flute in her slender hand. Her hair was long, down to her waist, and black as a raven's feathers. Her eyes were the shape of almonds, and were as black as her hair. Lina noticed that the women's face was truly beautiful. The women's features were slender, graceful, and seem to flow together to create her visage. The women's countenance and posture bespoke of royalty. Lina stared forward, surprise and a little fear showing in her eyes.  
  
"Who are you, where is this place?" asked Lina, trembling.  
  
The woman walked forward slowly, her hair being lifted in all directions by the breeze. Kneeling down, she lifted Lina's chin slightly. Lina noticed that the women's eyes were exceptionally sorrowful and full of tears. There was emptiness within the blackness of the women's pupils, an emptiness that shook Lina.  
  
"This is the forest of regret, where all who are unrequited must wander. The one whom you quest to save is here to, lost within the mysterious depths of this place," said the woman, her voice having a strange echo effect.  
  
"Then you are..." said Lina, a look of surprise spreading across her face.  
  
"I am Katarasu," said the women. 


	3. The Journey Begins!

Lina bolted upwards in her bed, awaking quite suddenly. The sound of her heavy breathing echoed in her moonlit bedroom. Lina felt her hands, and noticed that they were ice cold. Thoroughly shaken by the dream she just had, Lina decided to get out of bed and sit at her balcony for awhile. Gazing out at the dark waves of the sea, Lina noticed a certain elegance in the way the moonlight danced across the surface of the black water. The soft sound of the water lapping against the beach calmed her nerves a little.  
  
"What a strange dream that was. Katarasu reached out to me in my dream. That must mean that the Tears of Katarasu truly exist. But what did she mean by, 'the one whom you quest to save is here'? Does that mean that the Vargus' princess is also wandering that same, cold forest?" thought Lina, resting her chin on her delicate right hand.  
  
Lina's thoughts rose and fell like the tides of the sea. Unable to sleep, Lina simply waited for the morning sun to rise, so that she and Gourry could set off on their journey. Lina met Gourry and Vargus at the square a little before the agreed upon time of noon. Lina had quite a few heavy bags filled with her personal items, which she made Gourry pack onto the wagon.  
  
"Do you really need all this stuff Lina?" said Gourry, heaving another hefty burlap sack onto the wagon.  
  
"Now Gourry, you don't want me to head out on a new adventure not looking my best, do you?" said Lina, clenching a fist and pointing it at Gourry.  
  
Gourry laughed nervously and continued packing Lina's stuff. Vargus procured a pocket watch from his robe and looked around, as if searching for someone.  
  
"That's strange, she's supposed to be here by now," said Vargus.  
  
"Who?" asked Lina.  
  
"My guide, the woman I hired to show us the way to the south, was supposed to meet us here as well. She is running a little late," said Vargus.  
  
Just then, Lina heard a piercing wail echo throughout the town. The voice seemed vaguely familiar to Lina.  
  
"Who is that?" said Gourry.  
  
"We'd better go check it out," said Lina.  
  
Lina and Gourry ran away from the square down a few streets, following the sounds of the loud screaming. Just as Lina and Gourry were turning down an alley, a man dressed like a bandit flew by, slamming into a wall behind them. Lina looked down the alley and say a gang of men surrounding a blonde maiden dressed in white priestess robes, a large white hat.  
  
"Filia!" said Lina in total amazement.  
  
"Ms. Lina!" said Filia, also astonished.  
  
"You can't get out of this one girly, now give us all your money or else," said a bandit, brandishing a knife.  
  
Filia let out a wail, pulling up her robe and grabbing a vicious looking spiked mace that was attached to a leather strap on her thigh. Filia hit the bandit standing behind her squarely on the head, sending him careening into the sky.  
  
"Get away! You filthy scum!" cried Filia as she flailed wildly with her mace, squarely hitting any bandit unlucky enough to be caught in her path.  
  
Lina sighed, resting a hand on her forehead. Gourry scratched the back of his head, laughing forcibly.  
  
"Same old Filia it seems", said Lina to herself.  
  
After a few moments, Filia was left by herself in the alley, panting for air. The bandits had all been sent flying or simply had run off.  
  
"I can't believe those vermin tried to steal money from me. I hope that taught them a lesson," said Filia placing the mace back on her thigh strap.  
  
"Filia, what are you doing here?" asked Lina, approaching Filia.  
  
"I got a job acting as a guide to the southern continent. I was on my way to town square to meet my partner, when those accursed ruffians accosted me," said Filia, catching her breath.  
  
"Would your partner happen to be named Vargus?" asked Gourry.  
  
"Why, yes, how did you know?" asked Filia.  
  
"We're coming along for the ride, so it seems," sighed Lina.  
  
"Oh I've missed all of you so much Ms. Lina," exclaimed Filia as she ran up and hugged Lina, almost crushing the poor girl.  
  
"Filia...you're...crushing...me..." said Lina.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, I guess I don't know my own strength," said Filia, relinquishing Lina and blushing. As a golden dragon, Filia had amazing physical strength.  
  
"It's good to see you too. Well Vargus is waiting at the square, we'd better get a move on if we're going to leave this town as scheduled," said Lina, adjusting her cape.  
  
The trio returned to the square. Vargus was waiting next to the wagon. Raising an eyebrow, Vargus looked first at Filia, then at Lina, and then Gourry as they were all chit chatting.  
  
"I take it you three know each other?" asked Vargus.  
  
"Yeah, Filia and I go way back. You could not have picked a better guide to lead us around the southern continent," said Lina, slapping Filia hard on the back.  
  
"I see Lina is just as boorish as ever," thought Filia.  
  
"Well without further ado then, let's depart", said Vargus, hoisting himself onto the wagon and taking hold of the horse reigns. Filia, Lina, and Gourry all climbed onto the wagon. Lina looked longingly at the village of Shyremont, as the village soon became out of view. Gourry decided to take a nap atop one of Lina's many bags. Filia and Lina soon struck up a conversation, reminiscing about old times.  
  
"But Filia, tell me, what are you doing on this side of the world?" asked Lina.  
  
"Well I've been broke lately, and I needed a job to make some money. I wanted to start a white magic school, maybe in Sairaag," said Filia.  
  
Lina smiled knowingly at Filia. Lina knew that being the last of the golden dragons was tough on Filia. Filia was a priestess without a temple. Ever since all of her kind were killed by the Overworlders, and the temple she so loved was destroyed by Valgaav, Filia had to start anew.  
  
"Well I suppose that's a start, and I think the white mages at Sairaag will be quite excited to have a real golden dragon at one of their temples. You can teach them some of your awesome dragon spells!" said Lina excitedly, raising her hands in the air.  
  
"I hope you are right Ms. Lina. But for now we have to concentrate on finding the Tears of Katarasu and to save Mr. Vargus' princess. We golden dragons know of the legend as well," replied Filia.  
  
"But the golden dragons never found the Tears of Katarasu?" asked Lina.  
  
"As far as I know, no. I mean, as far as we were concerned it was simply a legend probably construed from some folk tale or fairy tale. In fact I'm still not sure if the legend is true, Ms. Lina. However, since the story does have a golden dragon in it and there is mention of a temple, I thought we should investigate some of the ancient temples."  
  
"Oh, it's true. I assure you Filia it is 100% true," said Lina. Lina leaned in towards Filia, using her right hand to mute their conversation.  
  
"I don't completely trust Vargus 100% just yet. But, last night I had a dream where Katarasu actually appeared and spoke to me. She's real Filia, as far as I can tell. And the princess we're trying to save is trapped in the same place as Katarasu, or at least that's what my guess is at this point," whispered Lina.  
  
"But how does it all tie together, Ms. Lina?"  
  
"That I'm not sure of yet Filia. But I'm sure we'll find out," said Lina. Lina reclined back onto one of her bags and looked at the breathtaking scenery of the countryside. The wagon trail was a dirt road beaten out through a field of emerald green grass. The stalks of grass were at least three to four feet high. With every gust of wind, the grass gave way, creating a relaxing wave like effect. Far off in the distance a range of mountains could be seen. The mountains were clouded through a thick white mist, but their outline could be seen from Lina's distance.  
  
Filia adjusted her hair and took off her two gigantic green earrings. Her hair lifted into the breeze, the golden tressettes billowing freely. Filia looked to her right, and noticed Lina had fallen fast asleep right next to Gourry. Smiling, Filia looked out at the green ocean of swaying grass.  
  
"I really am happy to be rejoined with Ms. Lina. It has been very lonely ever since they left. I was so lucky to have them by my side when the world faced catastrophe. The pain of losing my people to senseless slaughter, and then finding out that my elders were all liars and wanted nothing more than to cover up the heartless mistakes they made in their past, were both too much to bear. Ms. Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadiss, were all there to support me, even when I thought the world would surely be destroyed. I have a feeling that this new adventure might prove to be the same way," thought Filia.  
  
Lina and crew continued on their journey down the winding dirt road. The sun receded into the mountains, and the sky slowly changed color to evening twilight. Lina saw that they were now all nearing the kingdom of Pontaron, a vassal state to the crown of Seyruun. The enormous gray castle of Pontaron could be seen off in the distance, situated on a hill overlooking the river running alongside the city. A lush green forest surrounded the castle on all sides. Slowly making their way past the sign reading "Welcome to Pontaron", Lina got up and stretched her arms and legs. Rubbing her eyes, Lina noticed that there were not too many people on the street.  
  
"Man, I'm getting hungry, where is the inn around here?" said Lina, her stomach making an audible growling noise.  
  
Gourry sat up, yawning and rubbing his eyes. Gourry's stomach was just as empty as Lina's. Vargus stopped the wagon near an inn, and assisted Lina and Filia off of the wagon.  
  
"We should stay here the night, and then set back off in the morning," said Vargus, making his way towards the inn.  
  
"I hope they have something good to eat, I'm absolutely starved," said Lina, rubbing her growling stomach.  
  
Lina opened the door to the inn, and was greeted by an unusually somber atmosphere. There were very few patrons, aside from a few men drinking at the bar. Lina and Gourry sat themselves down at the table, immediately grabbing forks and knives.  
  
"Waitress, we'll take everything from the right side and a few things from the left!" yelled out Lina, raising her right hand to get the waitresses attention. The waitress walked over to the table slowly, her face obviously depressed.  
  
"Why is everyone in this town so depressed?" asked Filia.  
  
"Because of the princess. While reading in her garden, the princess fell into a deep sleep. Her body is still warm, but not even the most skilled priests can revive her," said the waitress, almost at the verge of breaking down and crying.  
  
"The princess...has fallen into a death like sleep...Vargus this is just like the princess of your kingdom!" said Lina.  
  
Vargus' expression was clearly surprised. Bolting up from his chair, Vargus immediately left the inn. Not wanting to be left behind, Lina, Gourry, and Filia followed behind.  
  
"We must go to the castle and see about the princess. Maybe the Pontoron's princess has befallen the same fate as mine. If she has then maybe we can investigate here and get to the bottom of this," said Vargus, quickening his pace towards the castle.  
  
"Agreed," said Lina, quickly following behind. Lina felt an odd chill come over her body. It was not like the chill of winter where the frost is only skin deep, but a chill of the grave. Lina's body uncontrollably shivered, and she felt a strange sickness in the pit of her stomach. Grasping her stomach, Lina fell to her knees.  
  
"What's wrong Ms. Lina!" cried Filia, kneeling down to holding Lina.  
  
Lina looked up towards the castle, into the dark forest that surrounded it. Lina saw a ghostly figure, the figure of a maiden, walking through the forest. Squinting her eyes, Lina tried to make out a face, or at least find some defining characteristic of the ghostly apparition. Before Lina had the chance to, however, the ghostly maiden was swallowed up by tendrils of darkness rising from the ground. Lina pointed to the forest, and tried to call out to Filia, but instead passed out. 


	4. Sleeping Beauty?

"Mr. Vargus! Mr. Vargus! Lina has fainted dead away," called out Filia towards Vargus. Turning around, Vargus rushed to Filia's side, placing a hand on Lina's forehead. Lina's skin was cold to the touch, and very clammy. After a few moments Lina's eyes fluttered open.  
  
"What...happened...?" asked Lina, rubbing her head.  
  
"Ms. Lina, are you alright?" asked Filia, hugging Lina.  
  
"You're crushing me again, Filia..." said Lina, trapped in the embrace of Filia.  
  
"Oh sorry," said Filia, relinquishing Lina.  
  
"I saw a woman walking in that forest by the castle. She was swallowed up by the shadows, and then I fainted dead away. I felt a chill come over my body, overpowering my senses," said Lina, standing up.  
  
"We must hurry to the princess. If we make haste we can possibly get to the root of what's happened," said Vargus, breaking into a jog. Lina, Filia, and Gourry followed right behind. Vargus walked up to one of the castle sentries guarding the main entrance to the castle. Procuring a royal seal from the inner folds of his robe, Vargus displayed the crest of his kingdom.  
  
"I am an envoy from the kingdom of Kalazal. We would like to have a word with his majesty about the princess. We have reason to believe that she's befallen the same fate as the princess of Kalazal," said Vargus.  
  
The sentry nodded, and opened the large wooden doors leading into the main hall of the castle. Another sentry bowed low, and then gestured inside the main castle.  
  
"I will make an announcement to his majesty that you are here, please come this way," said the sentry.  
  
The Pontaron castle was an enormous construction of stone and wood, climbing high into the sky. The main hall was a large open area with a red carpet situated down the middle. Antiquated shields, swords, and pieces of armor adorned the walls. There were very few people in the castle this time of night, save for the sentries charged with guarding the king.  
  
"His majesty has not been able to sleep since his daughter came under the terrible affliction. He's done nothing but sit on his throne..." said the sentry.  
  
The sentry opened the gigantic wooden doors leading into the throne room. The sentry bowed low, and gestured for Lina and the others to enter.  
  
"To his majesty Matagar, I present an envoy from Kalazal" announced the sentry. King Matagar was seated on his golden throne, his head resting in his hands. His eyes were bloodshot, indicating he had not slept in many days. King Matagar was a stout man, with broad, sweeping shoulders and thick muscles. His hair was curly and dark red, twisting in all directions under the weight of his crown. Lina cleared her throat and walked forward.  
  
"Your highness, we've come to investigate the curse that has befallen the princess. We believe what's happened here in Pontaron is the same as what has occurred in Kalazal. If your highness permits, may we have a look at the princess?"  
  
The King seemed rather despondent and depressed. He sat up after a few moments, his brow heavy and his eyes weary.  
  
"If you think that the same fate has befallen my daughter than by all means investigate. Not even the mightiest white wizards have been able to break the curse though," said the King, waving his head towards a sentry.  
  
The sentry led Lina and company down a series of hallways through the castle. The mood was somber and silent; the only sound echoing through the air was the crackle of the torch fire. The sentry stopped before a small wooden door, slowly turning the knob and opening the door. Filia walked in the room first flanked by Lina, Gourry, and Vargus. Filia gasped, covering her mouth with her gloved hand. The princess' room was quite large and rectangular. The princess lay motionless on her bed, her eyes closed as if she were in sound repose. The moonlight filtered in through the drapes of her window, making her skin look frighteningly pale. Filia knelt at the bedside of the princess, laying a hand on her forehead.  
  
"Cold as ice," remarked Filia.  
  
Lina rested a hand on her hip as she surveyed the room. Seeing that women eaten by the shadows of the forest reminded her of the forest she was in during the dream she had the night before. Katarasu had told Lina that the one she seeks was trapped in the forest of regret. Lina just could not figure out how everything tied together, her face showing the obvious frustration she was undergoing.  
  
"The princess of Kalazal is trapped in the same state. There is no mistaking that she is under the same curse, but who could be doing it and why?" asked Vargus.  
  
"That's definitely what I want to know. Filia, isn't there some curse breaking spell the golden dragons use? Maybe that would work," said Lina. Vargus raised an eyebrow, apparently confused.  
  
"I will try Ms. Lina," said Filia, standing up. Filia extended her hands over the princess. Filia's body was encompassed by a soft white haze as she began to chant her spell.  
  
"Naomu...nataku...isomu...raoman...Shadow Breaker!" exclaimed Filia casting her spell. Waves of bright light emanated from Filia's hands, causing the princesses body to glow a brilliant white. Vargus' eyes grew wide, his mouth agape at the sight of Filia's spell. Seconds later, black lightning erupted from the princesses' body, knocking Filia backwards, smashing a chair into pieces.  
  
"Filia!" cried Gourry, quickly moving to Filia to help her up. Filia rubbed her head, trying to reorient herself. The princesses' body was enveloped in a smoke like haze, black lightning crackling around her form.  
  
"I can't break the curse, I'm sorry. Whoever cast the spell can summon magic more powerful than I can break," said Filia, panting for air.  
  
"Filia, what was that spell you just cast? I've never seen it before," said Vargus, completely surprised.  
  
"Filia is a golden dragon priestess Vargus, I guess you didn't know. She can use really powerful white magic, but I guess that wasn't enough in this case. This spell is too powerful for a human to use, so that leaves only..." said Lina, her facial expression drooping.  
  
"A monster?" exclaimed Filia.  
  
"I HATE HATE HATE dealing with monsters," exclaimed Lina, slapping her forehead.  
  
The black like haze over the princess had become thicker, the lightning becoming fiercer. The haze congealed into a strange, formless apparition with glowing red eyes. The strange apparition floated in the air for a moment, then grew arms, legs, and a pair of sickly looking wings. The strange creature immediately flew out of the window, flapping its deathly wings and leaving a trail of smog in it wake.  
  
"After it! Ray Wing!" exclaimed Lina, floating into the air and flying out of the window. Vargus soon followed suit, and Filia was not too far behind, carrying the hapless Gourry.  
  
"I'm afraid of heights!" wailed Gourry as Filia tried to carry him, despite his struggling.  
  
"Just hang on Mr. Gourry," said Filia.  
  
The apparition was quite quick, and it seemed to grow larger and larger with each passing moment. Soon it transformed from a formless blob to a fearsome dragon with demon red eyes and large smoky wings. The dragon beats its wings faster, increasing its already fantastic speed.  
  
"We won't be able to catch up to at this rate, Filia!" exclaimed Lina.  
  
"Right Ms. Lina," said Filia, closing her eyes and concentrating. Filia's form turned pure gold, as she transformed from her human form into her golden dragon form. Filia was not a very large dragon, nor very fearsome looking, especially with the bright pink ribbon attached to her tail. Gourry hefted himself on Filia's back, while Vargus and Lina joined him.  
  
"A golden dragon?!" exclaimed Vargus, totally shocked.  
  
"We don't have time to explain everything Vargus. Filia, try to go a little faster and let's see if we can catch up!"  
  
"Right Ms. Lina!" said Filia, arcing her wings further back.  
  
The black dragon spun around, reared its head back, and sent a wave of black lightning streaking towards Lina and the others. Filia was quick to dodge, the lightning streaking past and destroying a building on the ground. Gourry looked down, noticing that they were now far above the city of Pontaron.  
  
Lina raised her hands overhead, weaving her strands of magical power and combining them into a spell.  
  
"Oh, source of all power, light which burns beyond crimson, let thy power gather in my hand. Fireball!!!" shouted Lina, creating a ball of searing white flame in her hand. Lina sent the fireball streaking towards the dragon, creating a brilliant explosion that lit up the night sky. Filia reared her head back slightly, opening her mouth. A ball of golden energy appeared within her mouth.  
  
"Diflasher!" shrieked Filia, sending a streak of golden laser energy at the black dragon.  
  
"Got him!" exclaimed Lina, balling her fist and cheering.  
  
However, as soon as the smoke cleared, the black dragon was still there. Clouds of black smoke were left in the trail of the dragon.  
  
"No effect, that laser blast and fireball should have damaged it at least," exclaimed Vargus.  
  
"Hmm, physical attacks probably won't work against it. Let's see how you like this spell," said Lina rolling up her sleeves.  
  
"Elmekia Lance!!" exclaimed Lina, extending her arms and aiming her open palms at the dragon. Suddenly, a lance of blue energy sprung forth from her hands, cutting through the air and blasting the left wing of the black dragon. The shriek of the black dragon was incredibly loud, causing Lina, Gourry, and Vargus to cover their ears.  
  
"It looks like we'll have to use astral spells. Vargus, do you know any? Why don't you help me out," said Lina, preparing to cast another spell.  
  
Vargus stood up, stood next to Lina, and held a hand out to hold her back.  
  
"I'll take care of this. The princess is counting on me, I won't let her down, and I won't let this monster get away. Stay steady Filia," said Vargus, a look of pure determination set into his visage. Vargus began to move his hands in a strange manner, closing his eyes and chanting. "Source of all souls which dwell in the eternal and the infinite. Everlasting flame of blue, let the power hidden within my soul be called forth here from the infinite to make it's judgment now, Ra Tilt!" shouted Vargus, extending both arms forward.  
  
A massive wave of light blue energy erupted from Vargus' hands, encompassing the black dragon. The dragon was overcome by the sheer force of the Ra Tilt, immediately disintegrating into nothingness. Lina stood in shock as she saw Vargus casting the most powerful astral spell, the Ra Tilt. The dragon was reduced to nothingness.  
  
"Ms. Lina, look!" cried Filia.  
  
Lina squinted her eyes, catching sight of a small, glittering object plummeting to earth. Filia sped up and flew under the object allowing Lina to catch it. Looking into her palms, Lina's expression turned to one of surprise.  
  
"It's a glass orb attacked to a string. And what's this strange crest emblazoned on it. No it couldn't be..." said Lina, gasping.  
  
Vargus looked at the glass orb, and said in a low voice "that's the crest of the magi guild of Seyruun." 


	5. A Visitor in the Night

"The wizards of Seyruun?" said Lina, puzzled.

"There's no mistaking it, this is definitely their insignia on this orb. And from the magical aura surrounding this thing I think this object is what fueled that shadow monster. But why would the wizards of Seyruun want to harm the princess?" asked Vargas.

"Filia, let's land. I think it's best if we discussed this on the ground," said Lina.

Filia landed gracefully on the ground, folding out her large golden wings to let Lina and the others slide off onto the ground. Filia glowed gold, her body meltting back into human form.

"This certainly confuses things, the Seyruun wizards are all white mages, and the city is a beacon of peace and justice for the whole world. Why anyone from Seyruun would be mixed up in all this is beyond me." asked Vargas.

"Actually Vargas, this really doesn't surprise me in the slightest. We've had … complications with Seyruun in the past…" said Lina, thinking back to the conspiracy to kill Prince Phillionel, and fighting the two monsters sent by Gaav the Demon King. Reminiscing about that entire fiasco sent shivers down Lina's spine.

"Wait a moment Vargas, didn't you say the king of your kingdom called on the white wizards of Seyruun to help out your princess?" asked Lina, thoughts brewing and bubbling in her genius mind.

"Why yes we did but they could not help. You don't mean to say Lina that…?"

"I smell a rat Vargas. If someone from Seyruun really is connected to the curses then they're working undercover," replied Lina.

"Well wouldn't the best thing to do would be to go to Seyruun and ask what's going on?" said Gourry, scratching his head.

"For once Gourry you've come up with a half way decent idea. We've dug up all the clues we could from this place. But Seyruun is totally out of the way! We were heading towards the south part of the continent to find the tears of Katarasu, but Seyruun is in the other direction! Gaaaah!" wailed Lina, letting out a sound of exasperation, falling to her knees and nearly pulling out her hair.

"I really don't see any other choice Ms. Lina. Besides if we can find out who is behind these curses then maybe we won't need to rely on the legend. This could probably work out for the best," said Filia smiling sweetly.

"You do have a point Filia. Well, let's get some sleep and set out first thing in the morning. We've got a lot of ground to cover if we want to make it onto Seyruun in time. Do you agree Vargas?"

"Wholeheartedly Ms. Inverse," said Vargas.

"Btw Vargas you're quite the magician aren't you? The Ra Tilt is the most powerful astral spell there is, and you seemed to pull it off nicely," said Lina with an air of smugness in her voice, resting her hands on her hips and tilting her head slightly.

"That is as it should be Ms. Inverse, I am one of my kingdoms best wizards. My specialization happens to be in astral magic," said Vargas.

"Well let's get some rest and start off in the morning," said Filia.

That having been said, the party went back to the inn and turned in for the night. Filia sat alone in her room atop her bed, looking out the window at the valley. The way the moon's glow caught the landscape evoked feelings of loneliness in her. It hadn't been too long ago that all of the gold dragons were slaughtered by the Overworlders, and the loss of all her loved ones hurt Filia deeply. Finding a niche in the world of humans wasn't really all that difficult, but at the same time she missed worshipping in the temple and being able to maintain her natural form as a golden dragon.

"If I dwell on the negative too long I'll simply go mad," thought Filia as she turned in to sleep.

Far away from the location of our heroes, atop a lone cliff with the moon high in the air, a suspicious masked figure with a long flowing cape looked out over the horizon.

"According to my map it shouldn't be too far from here," said the figure pulling out a tattered old map from inside his cloak.

Leaping up into the air, the cloaked man slide along the side of the cliff, allowing dust and gravel to fly into the air. Reaching the bottom in no time, he readied his sword and walked towards a large ruined temple. The columns were mostly worn away and broken, and the entrance was covered in vegetation and slabs of marble.

"What a wonder this must have been when the golden dragons first constructed it. I hope I can find something of use her. Something to turn me back to normal…"

Pulling back his mask, the figure revealed his wiry gray hair and stony dark gray skin. Cursed by his thirst for power, Zelgadis was now on a personal quest to return his form to its original state. There wasn't much to go on, as the man who made Zelgadiss who he was, the Red Priest Rezo, had long since died. Possibly there would be some old, archaic white magic that could cure him.

Cautiously approaching the entrance, Zelgadis knelt down and tried to make out the inscription on a broken piece of marble. Running a gloved finger across the surface he began to read.

"Hmm, mostly prayers to Ciephied. Nothing about any white magic, but I can't rule it out just yet. I don't think there would be any traps in an old golden dragon temple but I can't let my guard down."

Slowly walking into the building, Zelgadis quickly searched for a library. The main hall was gigantic and simply adorned. The once enormous statues that once would hover overhead lay broken into dust on the floor. A relief of Ciephied, the dragon god, was broken into several pieces.

"How far from grace ye have fallen," Zelgadis muttered to himself in reverence for the fallen golden dragons. While he was no fan of the servants of the gods after the fiasco not too long ago, he never felt the golden dragons deserved to be wiped out. Following a dark corridor, he finally had found the library. Most of the shelves seemed to be intact with row after row of ancient texts and manuscripts. Zelgadis could not be described as an overly optimist type of person, but his heart did race when he thought there was at least a small _chance_ that he could retain his human form. Leafing through page after page, he searched. Just then, the sound of a stone falling hit Zelgadis' ears. At first he didn't pay much attention, but when it happened again, his natural intuition let him know something was up. Slowly exiting the library, Zelgadis held his sword shaft and eyed the surrounding area for movement.

"Maybe someone else like me looking for secrets in these ancient temples…"

The air was deathly still for what seemed like an eternity. Satisfied that it was simply his imagination, Zelgadis returned to the library to resume his search. Fifteen minutes of perusal turned up nothing of any real interest, and Zelgadiss had almost given up hope. However, at the far end of the library near a pile of rubble, a golden book laying atop a modest looking dais caught his attention. Walking towards the book and picking it up, Zelgadis ran his fingers along the pages trying to make sense of the archaic script. The sound of footsteps echoed ominously behind Zelgadiss.

"Now we can't let you have that now can we?"

"Who are you!" yelled out Zelgadis, instinctively drawing his sword and grasping the book.

On the other side of the library stood a dark cloaked figure, his face shrouded by a cloak.

"Now we can do this the easy way. Put the book down and leave quietly, and I will grant you a longer life," said the figure in a rather haughty tone.

"Finders keepers as they say oh shrouded one. Besides, now I _know_ this thing was worth the trouble. How about this? How about you leave, and I let you live?" retorted Zelgadis.

"Fine then, have it your way," chuckled the cloaked figure, thoroughly amused by the standoff.

Zelgadis made the first move by lunging at the figure with his sword, yelling out a fierce battle cry. As if pulling it out of a bag made of shadow, the cloaked figure swiftly procured a wicked looking scythe from the inner folds of his robe and parried Zelgadis' blow with an upward swing, knocking the hapless swordsman back.

"This guy is tough, and I won't have enough room to really let loose here. Gotta make my own exit," thought Zelgadis as he quickly collected himself.

Raising a hand towards the wall, he exclaimed "Damu Bras!" blowing away the wall with the force of his spell, conveniently creating an exit outside.

"I was hoping to get some fresh air, it's so musty in here," said the cloaked figure thoroughly amused.

Zelgadis sprinted outside onto a grassy field. The moon was full and hanging high into the air. His opponent soon followed suit, eerily floating one foot above the air, his scythe hidden back in the folds of his robe.

"Well, I think it's time we settled things," said Zelgadis with a smirk.

"Astral Vine!" Zelgadis lifted his sword which was soon covered in a magical red haze. Lunging once more at his opponent with swift speed, Zelgadis swung high. The cloak figure's scythe emerged from the folds of his robe and the two blades met, brilliantly colored sparks flying onto the ground.

"Damn, I guess his scythe is magical. No normal metal can stand up against my sword when it's been enchanted."

"You really are talented, I'm glad this trip didn't turn out too boring. But I have other engagements and really need that book…"

"Well if you thought that was entertaining you should love this, Fireball!" cried out Zelgadis, forming a ball of pure flame with his hand and throwing the mass of energy towards the cloaked figure. Thoroughly amused, the figure waved his scythe at the fireball, deflecting it away. The explosion sent debris and rock flying every which direction.

"It can even deflect magic attacks? Where'd he get something like that?" thought Zelgadis.

"Oh my, what pretty fire works!" said the figure laughing hysterically.

"Gozu Vrow!" cried out Zelgadis, sending a wave of black energy streaking towards the figure. However, he vanished without a trace just before the wave of energy would have hit him. Thoroughly confused, Zelgadis looked around, but before he could even say "Where did he go?" he was hit with a powerful energy blast in the back, sending him and the book flying.

"You really are a laugh, I can't say I've had this much fun in awhile. But all good things must come to an end I suppose. Thanks for the literature, I'll tell you the ending of it if I ever see you again, that way you won't be in suspense. Ciao!"

Melting into darkness the figure disappeared in a nexus of black energy. Zelgadis sneered, pounding the ground with his fist.

"Damnit, that might have had what I needed!"

A few feet away, the maddened sorcerer noticed a small slip of parchment paper lying on the ground. Rushing over to it, Zelgadis recognized it as part of the book he just had.

"One of the pages must have fallen out during the fight. Hmm, what does it say…oh…oh wow…"

Zelgadis could hardly contain his excitement as he mouthed the worlds "Tears of Katarasu".

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Right as the sun was inching up from the crevices of the horizon our heroes set out for Seyruun on horseback.

"I still can't believe we're practically turning around on some wild goose chase, but sadly we've no other options," muttered Lina.

"The faster we can get the solved the better Ms. Inverse. Besides, the trip to Seyruun isn't _that_ long and we should at least try to enjoy ourselves some," said Vargas.

With a new day would come a new adventure, and Lina Inverse and friends were ready to meet such a day, whatever it might bring.


	6. Princess Filia?

The journey to Seyruun was definitely going to be long, and the monotonous fields of golden wheat certainly didn't cure Lina's boredom. The group of adventurers was on horseback, making their way to the city of Justice.

"This is so boring I could die..." thought Lina. She never really hid any negative emotion she happened to be feeling.

"Why don't you take the time to relax a little. Some boredom could do you some good," said Filia cheerfully smiling.

"We all can't be little rays of sunshine like you Filia..." replied Lina.

Gourry didn't mind at all, but then again it really didn't take much to occupy his dwarf like intellect. There were several peasants out in the fields harvesting the wheat. One of these peasants looked up from his toiling, and squinted his eyes.

"That... can't be..." he said looking straight at the traveling party.

"It is!" exclaimed the old man, who dropped his sickle and bag and ran over as fast as he could. Stopping in front of Lina and the others on the road, the man jumped for joy like a little puppy.

"I can't believe it's you! After all these years we thought you were gone!"

Lina raised an eyebrow and looked at her comrades. Gourry simply shrugged his shoulders. No replies were forthcoming from Vargas nor Filia.

"I saw you when you were just a little babe. You've grown into a beautiful women. Yes, of course you have! You are the spitting image of your mother the queen! Your regal looks, your delicate manner, everything about you is perfect!" said the old man in a hasty rushed manner.

Lina immediately blushed and laughed haughtily, throwing her head back.

"I know my beauty must have captured you. No no, it's okay I understand. But I must assure you I have no idea.."

"Not you, you plain looking hag, that girl over there" said the old man pointing straight at Filia.

Lina couldn't stand it when her rickety ego gets shot down. She fell off her horse comically, a gigantic sweat drop bonking her on the head as she lay on the ground dejected.

The old man ran up to Filia and held the young girls hands smiling as if he had won the lottery.

"I'm sorry sir I have no idea what you are talking about..." said Filia laughing nervously.

"Of course you don't that is perfectly fine. You are the princess of this kingdom; you've been missing since you were a small child."

"But how do you know she is the princess if you haven't seen her since she was a small child," asked Vargas, equally stupefied as Filia.

"Why she's the spitting image of our late queen! Hurry, hurry, we must take you to the castle immediately. I'm sure the royal family would love to see you. Yes! The prince is back from his journey, how fortunate he will get to see the princess right when he gets back!" said the old man tugging at Filia. Before she could offer a word of protest, she was already being dragged away.

"Oi oi, where are they taking Filia, Lina?" asked Gourry, but no reply was forthcoming. Instead, Lina was still on the ground, lying in shock.

"Plain...looking...hag" said the dejected Lina, despondent over the destruction of her precious self esteem.

"Snap to it Lina!" said Gourry, picking her up and shaking her. Lina snapped to, and climbed back onto her horse.

"Let's investigate and see what the heck is going on around here," said Lina. Gourry and Vargas simply nodded, and the three tried to follow Filia as best they could.

---------------------------

The castle of the kingdom was fairly normal as castles go. It was made of light gray stone, had three large red steeples, and was surrounded by a deep moat. The old man, despite his age, was able to lead Filia the long distance into the castle. One of the guards was about to place his spear in the way of the entrance, but then took one glance at Filia and yelled out in surprise.

"It's the princess! Where did you...that doesn't matter anymore, just go inside and see the king! Herald!"

Filia was led into the castle through the hall, practically being dragged. Looking up, she noticed a gigantic portrait hanging on the left most wall. Examining it carefully, Filia was thoroughly shocked. The woman on the portrait looked almost exactly like her. The face was a little softer and the features more accented in places, but the woman in the picture was practically Filia's twin.

"They must be mistaking me for that woman's...daughter!" thought Filia.

A herald entered the main throne room, bowed low, and immediately opened the door. The king looked disinterested at first, but upon seeing Filia, he stood up immediately and ran towards her. Holding her hands and lifting the blonde haired priestess up.

"Oh my daughter! It's been so many long years but you're back," said the King, giving Filia a big hug. Not really knowing how to react, Filia simply stood their being held by the King.

"Nice to see you too...I think..."

"We thought you had died so many years ago. Maids in waiting! Give the princess a bath and get her ready for a royal feast!"

Everyone in the hall cheered loudly.

"But I...I..." but instead of protesting, Filia was warmed by the genuine smile of the king. "Maybe I shouldn't burst their bubble, I mean, maybe it doesn't matter that I'm not the real princess.." thought Filia as she was led into the royal bath.

Lagging behind Lina, Gourry, and Vargas finally made their way to the entrance of the castle, only to be stopped by the sentries.

"None may pass."

"What the heck do you mean 'none may pass', let me through! I'm Lina Inverse the great sorceress?"

"Lina who? Whoever you may be we still can't let you pass..."

Lina was thoroughly frustrated but resigned herself to the fact she couldn't reach Filia.

"Dangit, what are we going to do now. It's obviously a case of mistaken identity..." said Lina slapping herself on the forehead.

"Well let's try and get some information from some of the villagers. Maybe we can figure out why they would mistake Filia for the missing princess.

"Yeah I guess you've got a point..." said Lina turning around.

--------------------

Filia truly did feel like a princess as she let herself sink into the depths of her bubble bath. She hadn't had this type of comfort in a long while, and she was definitely going to enjoy it while it lasted.

"I feel kind of bad though, not being the real princess and all…"

Filia knew it was a lie, but wouldn't a lie that made everyone feel better be alright in the end? Besides, this treatment would be a reward for all the hardships she had suffered until now. After Filia had finished her bath and dried herself off. Three ladies in waiting were already standing near the entrance with sweet smelling perfumes and fruit for the young maiden to snack on. Within minutes Filia was dressed in a long flowing light blue gown with sequins down the edge.

"Wow, I truly am a princess," said Filia to herself, looking in the mirror. The finishing touch to her costume would be a diamond tiara one lady in waiting placed on her brow. Filia made her way to the dining room, descending down a long staircase, taking care not to trip on her own gown. The dining table had already been prepared with sumptuous meals on the finest china. The smell was almost unreal, as well as the look of the food.

"This…this is so much…" said Filia taken aback by the splendor.

"It's all for you daughter, we're so glad that you're back I had the servants prepare this feast to celebrate."

Sitting down, Filia was served her first course, a thick creamy soup topped with parsley.

"We never thought we'd see you again, but now I see your mother in your eyes…"

"The woman in the picture must have been the queen…we do share an uncanny resemblance…" thought Filia. The young priestess began to feel bad living the lie. After all she wasn't the real thing.

"I…"

The King began to lose his composure and sob slightly.

"I was totally surprised when they brought you to me. You were too young to remember but you were kidnapped when you were very young and we never saw you again. I can't put into words…" but the King couldn't finish his sentence without breaking into long stifled sobs. Filia looked at her reflection in the spoon and began to really feel for the king.

"Maybe it's best if I don't…."

When Filia was done eating, the maids in waiting were already ready to take her to her bedroom to retire for the night.

"You've got a big day tomorrow," said the King beaming. Filia simply nodded and followed the servants to her room.

---------------------

Lina was still fuming over not being let into the castle, and snooping around town had come up with little.

"Well everyone knew the princess had been kidnapped years ago, they all must be happy to see her back," said Vargas.

"Well it's too bad Filia isn't the princess, I can assuredly say that Vargas. Besides everyone seems really excited for tomorrow for some reason…" said Lina, scratching her head.

"Everyone seems to be bolting down their roofs and putting protective covering over their shops. What in the world is supposed to go down tomorrow?" asked Gourry.

"Well we'll see what happens when it happens, right now all I can say is I'm totally beat and I need some sleep."

That having been said, Lina and her motley crew found an inn and checked in for the night.

---------------------

Tomorrow indeed came, and Filia was one of the first people to rise. She was awoken with a loud gong by one of the maids in waiting.

"Rise and shine mistress today is the big day."

"The big day?" asked Filia still groggy from waking up.

"You'll need to be bathed and dress as quickly as possible. We'll have to be at town square before the sun reaches full height."

"What on earth for?"

"Well it is your 17th birthday today according to our records, so today is indeed a very important day. We don't have any time to dilly dally we must get you prepared."

Before Filia could even put up a decent protest, the maids in waiting had her dressed and prepared. After taking a quick bath, Filia was soon escorted outside to a carriage waiting to take her to the outskirts of town.

"What in the world…" thought Filia as she was taken away.

Elsewhere, Lina, Gourry, and Vargas hurried over to where a large number of peasants were gathered near the edge of the city.

"Why is everyone here? What's going on?" asked Vargas confused.

"Umm, excuse me? Is this some sort of festival? A party?" asked Lina to one of the peasants.

"Today is the princess' 17th birthday, so it is a very special day for the whole kingdom."

"So this is a birthday party then?"

"Not quite. You see in our kingdom, the royal family must sacrifice their first born daughters to the dragon of Eire or else he'll destroy our entire kingdom."

"Ahh I see sacrifice to the dragon….WHAT!" asked Lina, her eyes as big as saucers. Grabbing a hold of the peasants' collar, she shook the poor man back and forth like a rag doll.

"If we don't the dragon will burn our village to the ground. It's been tradition for quite some time."

"Guys, did you hear that! These wackos are going to sacrifice Filia to a dragon!"

"That's insane, we have to put a stop to this!" said Vargas in a rather stately tone of voice.

"But you can't! No one can stand up against the dragon, if you do we'll all be killed!" wailed the peasant.

--------

Soon Filia's carriage pulled up to the edge of the city. Getting out, Filia looked at all the peasants who had gathered around to see her.

"Is this some sort of party or greeting of some kind?" Filia asked.

"Not quite princess," said one of the guards hoisting Filia up.

"Oh my, where are you taking me? Oh is that a stage you've made up there? Are you going to introduce me to everyone?" asked Filia excitedly, thinking she was really getting the royal treatment. The guards hoisted her up onto the platform.

"Oh my, this really is the royal trea---hey what are you doing? Why do you have rope? What's going on!" screamed out Filia as the guards tied her to a pole.

"Don't worry princess, it'll be over soon enough. Your sacrifice is for the whole kingdom."

"My sacrifice? What the HECK are you people going on about!" yelled out Filia.

The guards finished tying her to the stake and, checking that the rope was tight, they gave the OK to the other guards standing by the sides. Filia was panicking, and justly so, as the stage revealed itself to be a moving platform pulled by horses. Looking into the crowd, Filia saw Lina and the others.

"Miss Lina!" yelled out Filia.

"We're coming for you Filia!" yelled out Lina, trying to move through the throng of peasants.

Soon the noise of the crowd was drowned out by the beating of wings. The dragon in question soon appeared flying in from across the horizon. It was a silver dragon with metallic scales that reflected the sunlight. Landing slowly, the dragon took its place in front of the stand where Filia was tied up.

"I am Eire the ancient dragon! I am here for my sacrifice!" roared the dragon.

Filia simply screamed at the top of her lungs. She clearly didn't want to be sacrificed to anything.

"Ah yes, I see my sacrifice is quite beautiful. You will make a fine meal my young maiden," said the dragon, looking down on Filia with a predatory look.

"You, you can't eat me. That'd be ….. _CANNIBALISM!_" cried out Filia making a disgusted face.

The dragon was clearly puzzled, even more so once Filia's form began to glow, indicating she was transforming into her dragon state. Easily breaking free of the rope, Filia soared into the air. The peasants gasped as they pointed to the golden dragon flying through the skies.

"Looks like that's our cue guys," said Lina, casting a flight spell. Vargas and Lina flew upwards carrying Gourry, in order to join up with Filia. Not happy with how things were developing, Eire the dragon let out a mighty roar.

"Since I do not have my sacrifice I will level this kingdom to the ground and feast on the inhabitants!" yelled out the mad dragon.

"We'll see about that, Filia, make another pass around. I'm going to finish this guy in one shot…" said Lina with the grin she gets when she's about to cause massive destruction. Filia nodded and made another pass around.

"Run! Run everyone the dragon is going to kill us all!" cried out a peasant, causing the rest of the throng to scramble every which way.

Lina raised her hands in the air and began to chant:

"_Darker than the deepest twilight. More crimson than blood that flows, buried in the flow of time, In thy great name I pledge myself to darkness! Those who oppose us shall be destroyed by the power that you and I possess! DRAGON SLAVE!"_

A fantastically power red beam of energy erupted from Lina's hands, streaking towards the dragon and obliterating it in a huge explosion of energy. Bits of debris and earth were flung in all directions, as the shockwave from the blast sent the hapless peasants flying. All that was left of the evil dragon was a gigantic smoking crater.

"Heh heh, that felt good. Gotta let loose sometimes ya know…" said Lina smiling.

The peasants, relieved that the dragon had been reduced to ash, cheered up at the band of heroes.

"Way to go! Thanks for freeing us!" they yelled with heartfelt thanks.

Lina, adoring the chance to take some well deserved credit, blew kisses down at the crowd and winked.

"If you don't mind Miss Inverse I think it'd be best if we skipped the celebration and continued on? We've spent enough time here as it is," remarked Vargas.

"Yeah sure thing, Filia, you feel like flying some of the way?"

"No problem Miss Lina."

That having been said, the small band of heroes flew off into the distance.


	7. Something's rotten in Seyruun

The gentle waves of the ocean moved in a rhythm that calmed Amelia down as she stood on the deck of the crown ship "Justice". Decked out in her princess gown that she would wear for formal affairs of state, Amelia couldn't help but pout. Her father had kicked her out of the lower decks to be with "Cara", a mysterious woman that showed up to the court of Seyruun a few months ago.

"Daddy didn't have to go out of his way to ignore me," pouted Amelia, resting her head in her hands, a look of pure annoyance on her face.

Ever since the first day Cara showed up to the city of Seyruun, Amelia couldn't shake the heeby-jeeby feeling the woman gave off. She came claiming to be a practitioner of the White arts, a cleric from some vague order off in the hinterlands of the continent. Her credentials seemed to check out okay, but what Amelia didn't appreciate was how she seemed to make a beeline for her father.

"Well maybe I should just be glad that Daddy is happy. Ever since mom died…" thought Amelia, a subtle depression sinking into her mind. It had been many long years since her mother passed away, and Amelia clearly remembers the day despite the fact it happened while she was very young…

_It was a silent day in all of Seyruun. All the stores had closed, all the streets had emptied, and everyone stood solemnly in the Cathedral of the Eternal Dragon. White carnations filled the room with a pleasant scent, with white banners emblazoned with the Seyruun coat of arms hung all about the room. King Phil walked down the pure white carpet holding his young daughter Amelia's hand. Amelia looked up at her fathers face, a stolid stone like thing that she had never witnessed before. Looking deeper, his eyes seemed to glisten, barely able to hold back some type of deep sorrow. Amelia thought to herself how she had never seen her father like that, and never wanted to again. They made their way to the front of the cathedral, the priest chanting some unintelligible hymn in the ancient tongue. The coffin was open, and Amelia peaked up to see the quiet, motionless visage of her mother. Tears welling up in the young girls eyes, she hid herself in the folds of her father's cape._

Amelia came back to reality when she heard her father laughing boisterously at something Cara must have said. The woman seemed clinged to Phil's arm for dear life, and Amelia noted to herself never once was she _not_ around her father.

"Oh that is a good one Cara, you are so funny!"

"Oh that's because you have such a good sense of humor darling…" Cara replied, playfully rubbing Phil's chest.

"Darling? Don't you think it's a little early to be calling each …?"

"Oh don't worry. I'm sure no one minds, and besides, it makes me feel closer to you," quipped Cara, her smile radiant.

Amelia couldn't stand watching it any longer. Cara, with her long tressettes of fire red hair and pale skin, looked like an evil enchantress out of a storybook as far as Amelia was concerned.

"How could father let himself be taken in by one who clearly is not on the side of justice and truth!" thought Amelia, furious at the entire situation.

"Oh Amelia!" yelled out Phil as he waved towards his daughter. Cara couldn't help but sneer every time Amelia came near. The two women simply looked at each other, bolts of invisible lightning streaking towards each other.

"Yes father? Are we almost back at Seyruun yet? These long boat trips are starting to get to me," said Amelia ignoring Cara for a moment to look at her father.

"You know we have to make these little diplomatic missions to our allies so that they know that Seyruun stands for Justice and Truth!" said Phil raising a single finger upward, breaking into one of his standard courageous poses.

"Everyone knows Seyruun is a beacon of light and justice in the world dear. I think what's more important now is for Seyruun to…receive the aid of our friends to help further our cause…" said Cara, gently lowering Phil's hand and smiling at him. Phil blushed and smiled nervously, seemingly bewitched by Cara's feminine wiles. Amelia's face grew red, steam coming out of her ears.

"Why don't you run along now and play with your toys, the adults have things to talk about," slyly retorted Cara, looking down at Amelia and talking in her usual condescending, haughty tone.

"I'm not a child!" yelled Amelia, almost at the point of tearing her hair out.

"Well we do need some alone time before we get back, run along now Amelia," said Phil, waving his daughter off while he focused his full attention on Cara.

That was the last straw for Amelia, who immediately stormed off totally pissed.

"Why did she have to meddle her way into my life! Why can't father see her for who she really is! AGGHH! Adults can be so stupid!" lamented Amelia in her thoughts as she stormed off to the opposite side of the ship to look at the ocean. She could see the glistening city of Seyruun in the distance, and couldn't wait to get back home.

---------------

Lina and her entourage finally arrived at Seyruun and stabled their horses. Vargas knelt to one knee and prayed for a moment, only to stand back up and take a look over the city.

"Oh it's been far too long," Vargas said, wistfully looking upwards at the towers of the palace.

"You've been here before?" asked Lina.

"Oh of course, I used to be a cleric before I decided that the shaman arts were more to my liking. Anyone who studies white magic eventually has to come here if they want to be any good at all, Lina."

"Maybe you should look into studying here some time Lina. White magic has its rewards you know," piped in Filia, giving Lina a predatory smile.

"Meh, White magic doesn't have the oomph that I'm looking for. It's all just a bunch of moaning, chants, and stuffy priests. Now black magic is where it's at! When someone pisses you off, BAM, you can blow them sky high!" giggled Lina, her love for destruction bubbling to the surface.

"Maybe it's for the best Filia. If anyone could find a way to heal someone to death, it'd be her," said Vargas, slyly sliding over to Filia and whispering into her ear.

"I HEARD THAT! I'M NOT DEAF YOU KNOW!" wailed Lina as she hit Vargas over the head with a comically sized mallet.

"Now now, let's just stop fighting and remember why we're here," chimed in Gourry, trying to calm Lina down.

"Of course Gourry. We've got to find out whose orb this is!" replied Lina holding up the glass orb with the coat of arms of the kingdom of Seyruun.

"I thought we were here for Seyruun's world famous sea salt ice cream" remarked Gourry, clearly dejected at the thought of not getting his favorite treat.

Lina's brain was in pain, trying to process how any human being could possibly be so stupid. She immediately whapped him over the head, sending him plummeting to the ground.

"Whoever it is they're definitely linked to the sleeping princesses…" remarked Filia.

"And the Tears of Katarasu. Well let's not just stand around here, let's go bust down the palace and blast whoever is doing this!" exclaimed Lina, marching triumphantly into the city. All her friends sighed deeply in unison.

"Where should we start looking? I'm sure if the person we're looking for is here they'd take the time to hide themselves," said Vargas.

"Well I thought we'd pay Amelia a visit and see if she knows of anything suspicious. She may be a hero freak but she's no fool," replied Lina.

The gang first headed to the Chapel of the Eternal Dragon, a place that brought back memories to Lina when she battled Mazenda back during the crisis of Phil's assassination. Lina reflected on how the city of supreme holiness also seemed to be a magnet for villains and monsters.

"And now I'm right back here in the middle of it," she thought to herself, sighing.

The Chapel of the Eternal Dragon was the leading repository of white magic spells in the entire continent. Funded by Seyruun royalty for over 600 years, the hallowed halls were a vast repertoire of magical knowledge. Entering the chapel, Lina and her friends were in awe at the ancient building.

"I've never seen such a place," said Filia in awe.

"Well it's no Golden Dragon Temple but we dinky humans sure know how to do our buildings up right," remarked Lina slapping Filia on the back.

"How are we going to find any clues though?" asked Vargas.

"Well think of it this way, maybe the headmaster here has noticed someone snooping around. The magic on this thing," said Lina taking out the orb, "is some serious stuff and I'd find it very hard to believe anybody would just happen to know how to make this without any guidance."

"Agreed, let's go ask the headmaster," said Filia smiling.

Walking their way through the quiet halls of the temple, Lina eventually came across a lone annex. There, a very tall man clad in white priest robes was alone, praying within the rays of a single beam of sun that shone down from the ceiling.

"Umm excuse me…" said Lina tapping the wall gently.

"Oh, ah, excuse me, I was just doing some reflection. I am Ardomis, headmaster of this temple and white magic school. What can I do for you," said Ardomis as he stood up and walked over to Lina and her friends. Ardomis' face lit up upon catching sight of Vargas.

"Vargas! It's been ages old friend!"

"Ardomis how are you! It's been too long!" replied Vargas as the two men heartily shaked hands.

"You two know each other?" asked Gourry.

"Of course, I said I studied here! Ardomis was my personal instructor in the White arts. Oh those were the days weren't they?"

"Yes Vargas, I remember when you studied here. You spent most of your studying energy on the female clerics though…" replied Ardomis slyly.

"Umm…well…yes…I supposes," replied Vargas embarrassed, scratching the back of his head.

"Well we were wondering if this spell would be familiar to you at all. Take a look at this," said Lina holding up the orb.

"Hmm, this is a strange spell indeed. It's unlike anything I've ever seen…" said Ardomis quizzically, staring at the invisible magical field surrounding the orb.

"We were hoping you might be able to help us figure out who could put this type of spell on here," said Filia.

"Well like I said I've never seen this type of magic before…but…now that you mention it…there was someone in here last week who was asking about old books from our arcane library."

"Your arcane library? I've never heard of that," said Vargas.

"Well it's kind of a little secret myself and the other priests keep. It houses a lot of ancient texts from the War of the Monsters Fall, over 1000 years ago as you all know. A lot of the texts down there are untranslated."

"Relics from that war? There might be some powerful magic down there," said Vargas, looking towards his comrades.

"Well it won't be of much use to you. The language most of the scrolls is written in has no record in any other historical text," replied Ardomis.

"Maybe Filia can make it all out," said Lina.

"Well I can try…" Filia said blushing.

"That's the spirit! Now lead the way Ardy my man!" exclaimed Lina triumphantly.

"We can't have you all snooping in unwanted places now can we," said a voice, cackling.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" exclaimed Lina.

The shadows near a bookcase seemed to coalesce into a humanoid form. A cloaked figure wielding a scythe jumped up to the top of the bookcase and pointed his scythe threateningly at Lina.

"Well it seems the rat has finally come out of the woodwork…" she said, grinning.


End file.
